Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND O~' T~IE INV~:NTI ON
This invention relates to an illuminated pictorial
display mec~hanism and more particularly to a display
mechanism that is fully automated.
Illumina-ted pictorial display mechanisms are
-typically employed as an advertising medium. As such, the
configurations and applications of such mechanisms may be
expected to vary considerably, from small units used -to
pictorially display merchandise in the window of a store
to a larger billboard size in an exterior location. Ir-
- respective of physical size and location, the function of
these mechanisms remains thesame which is to pictorially
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~` convey information in some predetermined recurring pattern.
`~ This presumes automatic control.
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One form of automatic control strategy previously ~ -
used is electromechanical and employs switches, sliding
contacts, and the like which are typically actuated by some
moving mechanical portion of the display mechanism. Atten~
dant problems of course occur and include malfunctions due
to dirty and worn switch contacts as well as jamminq which
is a common occurrence in any interplay of moving mechanlcal
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parts.
Another problem of the plior art relates to the
manner in which pictorlal dlsplays are carried by a movable
band of translucent material. If the display is placed
directly onto the band as by means of dyes and paints, this
represents a time consuming and hence expensive effort. On
the other hand, the attachment of transparencies or other
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, ~ 30 like displays which are more economical to produce presen-ts
a problem in providing either a permanent or a replaceable
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~- attachment to the band.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the provisions of the invention is an
improved illuminated pictorial display mechanism having
simple yet eEfective means for securing and carrying a
pictorial display on the band.
~ r~o~l~er provision of the lnve~ntion is an
illuminated pictorial display mechanism having automatic
control fea-tures that function without physical contact
with moving components of the mechanism.
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Another provision of the invention is a display
mechanism in which encoded control information is carried
along a longitudinal portion of the band.
Still another provision of the invention is a
display mechanism having electronic sensor means adapted to
produce an output of data pulses corresponding to the encoded
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information and logic circuit means responsive to the data
pulses for automatically controlling the mechanism.
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The problems associated with the prior art may be
substantially overcome and the foregoing provlsions achievèd
by recourse to my invention which is an illuminated pic~torial
display mechanism. The mechanism comprlses a band of ~
i flexible, translucent material in the form of a plurality of
contiguous pockets adapted to receive and carry pictoriai
displays, transport means supporting the band in at least
one plane, including drive means for controllably displacing
the band along a predetermined path of the plane, and llght
means for controllably illuminating predetermined portions
of the band to effect a pictorial display.
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DESCRIPTIOhl OF TIIE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be further described with
reference to an embodiment thereGfshown, by way of example,
in the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an illuminated
pictorial disL)kly mechanism shown encLosed in a cabinet;
ig. 2 ls a longitudinal side eleva-tion view of
~^, the mecharlism of Fig. 1 with the cabinet removed;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism of E'ig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a detailed block diagram of a logic
control circuit in accordance with the present invention;
and
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a
translucent band used in the mechanism of Fig. 1.
-~ DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
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i~ Fig. 1 is illustrative of a typical illuminated
pictorial display mechanism 10 to disseminate advertising in
a store oroffice location. The mechanism 10 includes a
cabinet 11 which, in the present embodiment, would be adapted
to be easily removed for maintenance purposes. A generally
~& ~; rectangular opening 12 is formed in~opposite sidewalls of the
cabinet 11 in order to view pictorial displays that are
carried by a band 14 of flexible, translucent plas-tic that
is displaced past the openings 12 in a predetermined recurring
manner by transport means contained within the cabinet 11.
A rectangular plate 13 at one end of the cabinet provides
convenient access to control circuitry disposed therein.
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A side elevation view of the mechanism 10 is shown in
Fig. 2 with the cabinet 11 removed to show the relative
positions of components therein. A-t one end of a frame 15
there is mounted a power switch 16 by means of which d-C
line voltage is made available to the mechanism 10. Only
a portion of the band :L4 is illustrated, in order to show
its relative ~)ositiol~ wlth respect tc) Li~Jht mearls ill the
; form of gas dischar~Je Lclnl~sl7 and tralls~ort rlleans 18 on which
the band 14 is movably supported. A recessed panel 19 is
,~ 10 shown on the right-hand end of the frame 15 and is adapted
to receive a prin-ted circuit board containing electronic
control circuitry. Located above the panel 19 are sensor
means 20 through which an uppermost edge of the band 14 passes
--~ as it is displaced by the transport means. And, mounted on
~ the bottom of the frame 15 is a ballast 21 that is used in
a known manner with lamps 17. Referring next to Fig. 3,
it will be observed that the lamps 17 are centrally disposed
on the frame15and provide uniform illumination for pic-
torial displays carried by the band 14 irrespective of the
side from which the displays are viewed. It will be under-
~ stood that the lamps 17 need not be confined to this par-
-~ ticular locatlon and may, under some circumstances, be pre-
ferably located immediately adjacent the band at each opening 12.
Incandescen-t and gas lamps of various colors may also be used.
Fig. 3 shows more clearly the particular arrangement
of the transport means 18 which is seen to comprise a pair
of reversible terminal rolls 22 which operate to wind and
unwind the band 14 depending on its direction of travel which
is shown in Fig. 3 to occur in four separate planes. Assuming,
for purposes of description/ that the uppermost roll 22 is
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rota-ting clockwise, the band 14 is unwound ther(-~rorn and
changes direction of travel four -times as it traverses a like
number of idler guide rollers 23 whereupon the other end
of the band 14 is wound up on the lowermost roll 22.
Having regard to Fig. 1, it will be noted that as the band 14
traverses the path described, it passes by both o~en:incJs 12
to efEect viewing of the d:isplay :Eroln e.ither sid~ o.f the
cabinet 11..
rive means for con-trollably displacing the band
~ 10 comprise a reversible drive motor 24 having an outpu-t
shaft on which is mounted a spur gear 25 that rotatably
.~; engages a pair of oppositely rotating drive gears 26 which :-
separately engage driven gears 27 that are respectively
attached to -the lowermost ends of the rolls 22. Thus, as
the motor 24 rotates clockwise, such ro-tation is coupled .~- -
to the gears 27 to cause rotation in the same direction - :
~:; thereby paying out the band fxom the uppermost roll 22 and
. winding up the band on the lowermost roll 22.
;:~ It wlll be understood by those skilled in the art
that the afore-described gear drive comprises but one means
by which the band 14 may be displaced. Various alternatives
~: are therefore available. For example/ the pair of gears 26
may be substituted by a single larger diameter gear to effect
.~ the same result. Alternatively, a friction drive may be
~ substituted for the toothed gears herein illustrated and
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described. Other possibilities include a chain drive as well
as a system of belts and pulleys.
Pictorial d.isplay materlal in the form of trans-
~~ parencies and other such items are readily mounted on and
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transported by the band 14 in view of its novel structure
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~ which is illustrated in some detail in Fig. 5. Reference to
.~ this figure shows the band 14 as eomprising a plurality of
eontiguous poeke-ts 33 that are open along an uppermost edge
of the band and elosed along a folded lower edge.Inclividual
poekets are separated from adjaeent pockets by ~,eans oE
~` seams 29 which may be formed by means of heat or ultrasonic
welding alon<J ~ortions oE opposite sidewcl:Lls 30 ancl 3L of the
band 14. Onepocket 33 isshown open and the o-thers c]osed.
It will be understood that the relative dimensions
of the band 14 shown in Fig. 5 are not drawn to scale in
, order -to bet-ter ilLustrate the manner in which the poekets 33
`~ are eonstrueted and the relative ease with whieh pictorial
displays may be placed in or withdrawn from eaeh pocket.
Colltrol information in BCD encoded form appears in
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,~ Fig. 5 as an interrupted series of opaque spots 32 which are
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~ earried along a longitudinal portion of the band. Depending
;~ ~ on the code used, the sensor means 20 will respond to produee
-~ a eorresponding output of data pulses whieh are applied to
inputs of a logie eontrol circuit 35 as shown in Fig. 4.
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A pair of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 36 and ~,
are energized to illuminate that por-tion of the band 14 aloi~q
which the eontrol information is encoded. The LEDs 36 and
axe disposed along one side of a slot 28 in the sensor means
~;; 20. Corresponding light deteetors 39 and 40 are positioned
~-~ on the opposite side of the slot to receive light emitted
by the LEDs. Interruption of the light output from eithex
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LED results ln the produet1on of control signals wh-ich are
input to the cireuit 35 to eontrol the operation of the
- motor 24 and -the lamps 17.
A funetional deseription of the eireuit ~5 LS
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presented hereinbelow to describ~ -the manner in which
automa-tic operation of the mechanism 10 Inay be achieved
to effect pictorial displays ln prede-termined patterns
determined by information coded on the bancl 14.
Reference toFig. 4 shows a c:Lock 41 thclt produces
output pulses having a rate of 60 Elz which are applied
directly to one input of an AND gate 42. Two additional
inputs to the gate 42 comprise a GO rom a motor flip-flop 43
indicating that the motor 24 is stopped. A third inpu-t to
the gate 42 is a LITE output from a flip-flop 44 which ~ -
indicates tha-t the lamps 17 are energized and are illuminating
the band 14.
An output from the gate 42 drives a coun-ter 45
that produces an ou-tput which is applied to a comparator 46.
The comparator 46 moni-tors the output of the counter 45 a-t
all times and compares the count against a pre-selected -
~ count which is determined by switches 47. When the output
-~; from the counter 45 equals the count predetermined by one or
; ~ more of the switches 47, the comparator 46 generates a
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command output that sets the Elip-flop 44 in the LITE (light off)
state, sets the flip-flop 4a from the GO to the GO state to
change the d1sp1ay, and resets the counter 45 to zero.
A forward/reverse flip-flop 48 determines the
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- direction in which the motor 24 will wind the band 14. The
diode 36 and ltS detector 39 generate a command signal for the
flip-flop 48 depending upon the encoded information on the
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f'' ~ band 14. Since the flip-flop 48 is a memory element, it
will remain in the state of the last event un-til a new
`; command is generated.
In similar fashion, the flip-flop 43 operates by
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mealls of col~nand signals derived from the diode 37 and its
detector 40 to determine when a new frame, defined by a
pocket 33 containing a pictorial display, is in position to
be illuminated. In this regard, it will be understood -that
illumination of the band resul-ting in a pictorial display is
efected only when a pocket 33 is aligned in opening 12 in
.~ the cabinet 11. This sequence o-f events is signa:LIed by -the
.~ output of the detector 40.
- The flip-flop 43 requires two conditions at the
~: 10 input of an AND ga-te 50 to effect a GO output for a picture
: change. These conditions consis-t of a complete count ou-tput
~: from the comparator 46 and the presence of a LITE output
-~ from the flip-flop 44.
wo conditions are likewise required to bring the
flip-flop 43 to the GO (stop) state, namely that the pocket 3
is in a proper position for a pictorial display and -that the
~ flip-~lop 44 is in the LITE state.
~`;; The flip-flop 44 produc~s the LITE output when three
~ . conditions are present at the input of an AND gate 51. These
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conditions consist of a GO input from the flip-flop 43, an
output from the detector 40 indicating that the new frame is
in position, and an output from the comparator 46 which -~
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f~ indicates that the counter is counting.
Conversely, the flip-flop 44 produces a LITE output
~ when two predetermined conditions appear at the input oE an
'.jf ,' AND gate 52. These conditions comprise an output from the
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comparator 46 that indicates that the count is completed and
;~i a GO input from the flip-flop 43 which indicates that the
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, display is in the process of changing a frame.
. 30 A control switch 54 is provided to lnitialli~e
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~ Lilcuit 35 by resetting the counter 45 via an O~ gate 55
ar,d resetting the Elip-f:Lop 4~ -to produce a LI'l'E outl,ut.
A second manual switch compri.ses switch elements 56,
57 and 58 which are operable to manually initiate a frame
change. Note that the element 56 is a momentary (ontact type
: which, when operated, resets the flip-flop 43 to produce a
GO ou-tput which when present with a FWD output from -the
flip-flop 48 produces a RUN E'WD output from an AND gate 60.
Closlng the contacts 57 and 58 resets the flip flop 44 to
produce a LITE ou-tput and the lamps 17 remain off. The flip-
flop 44 rema:ins in -the LITE; state even if the flip-flop 43
receives a GO comm~nd from the de-tector 40. Thus, arl
operator of the mechanism 10 is provided with as much time
as required to replace a pictorial display with ano-ther.
-. Thereafter, initiallizing the circuit 35 by means of the
switch 54 resets the flip-flop 44 to produce a LITE OlltpUt
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.; which actuates the lamps 17.
~: It will be app~rent to those skilled in the art thdt
.~ the preceding description of:the embodiment of the invention
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may be varied substantially -to meet specialized requirements
~ without departing from -the spirit and scope of the invention
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~; ~ disclosed. For example, although the sidewalls 30 and 31 ~re
;~. described as translucent, where high definition viewing is
required the outer sidewall would be fabricated of thin,
transparent plastic film or like flexible material. The
inner sidewall would preferably be thin, translucent plastic
film to pass light yet effectively hide the components ins-de
. ~ the cabinet 11. The pockets 33 would then be fornled by the
~: . seams 29 together with a like continuous seam along one edg~-
of the sidewalls to form a closed bottom. This embod~ment ,s
`. therefore not to be taken as limiting but rather as ln exempi~ y
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structure of the invention which is defined by the claln~s.
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